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Syria: special review by UN Committee against Torture to take place this week

For the first time since 1997, the Committee against Torture will review a State outside of its normal reporting obligations, with Syria scheduled to be reviewed by the UN Committee against Torture this week. Syria was last examined two years ago in 2010 and would under normal circumstances have been again reviewed in 2014, according to the four-year periodicity of the review process.
14 May 2012
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Libya: Mr. Rifat Al Khwildy, a journalist who participated in the revolution, is arbitrarily detained and is the victim of torture and ill-treatment

Alkarama seized the Special Rapporteur on Torture and the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention of the case of Mr. Rifat Al Khwildy, a victim of arbitrary detention and torture for nine months.

A 27-year-old journalist, Mr. Al Khwildy participated in the Revolutionary Movement of 17 February 2011. Having learned that his name appeared on a list of people that were opposed to the revolution and that he was now the object of an investigation, he turned himself into the Military Council in Tripoli on 4 September 2011.

14 May 2012
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Syria: Disappearance of influential Islamic scholar, Moaz Al Khatib

Moaz Al Khatib, a well-known and widely respected Syrian Islamic scholar, was arrested by the Syrian Military Intelligence in Damascus on 27 April 2012.
10 May 2012
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Algeria: The Human Rights Committee seizes the case of Mr. Mohammed Belamrania, tortured and summarily executed by the army at Jijel

Mohamed Belamrania was arrested on 13 July 1995 by soldiers and was savagely tortured. His body was found among dozens of other mutilated corpses next to the road, riddled with bullets.

To date, his family has not received justice from the Algerian authorities and has been forced to address the issue to international mechanisms. Alkarama lodged a complaint on 9 May 2012 to the Human Rights Committee.

10 May 2012
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Kuwait: Arbitrary detention of Bidun rights activist Abdulhakim Al Fadhli

On 1 May 2012, Mr Abdulhakim Al Fadhli, a well-known activist for the rights of Bidun (stateless) in Kuwait, was arrested for the third time this year and who is now charged with calling for and participating in demonstrations. Alkarama strongly condemns the persecution of Mr Al Fadhli which clearly violates his right to freedom of expression and of peaceful assembly and is solely based on his commitment to the cause for equal rights of the Bidun in Kuwait.

09 May 2012
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Palestine: Closure of human rights organisation Rased's Ramallah office

After criticising the integrity of officials working for the Palestinian Authority, the Palestinian Human Rights Foundation (Rased) and its members experienced growing harassment, which climaxed in the ordered closure of Rased's offices in Ramallah, Palestine, on 12 April 2012.
08 May 2012
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Algeria: Release of Tarek Mameri

Tarek mameri was brought before the court of Algiers on the morning of Friday 4 May. He was charged with several counts including charges of "insulting a constituted body," "destruction of public property," "destruction of government documents," and "incitement to unlawful assembly."

He was released on probation and was summoned to appear the next 30 May before the correctional court of Algiers to be sentenced.

Tarek Mameri was arrested on 1 May at 9:00 p.m. in the middle of Algiers by several plainclothes agents presenting themselves as police officers.

07 May 2012
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Yemen: HOOD and Alkarama condemn the continuing extra-judicial executions

The Alkarama Foundation and the Yemeni organisation HOOD condemn the US drone assassination of the Yemeni citizen Fahd Mohammad al-Quso, 38, in Azan, Shabwah province in the south of Yemen, on Sunday 6 May 2012.
07 May 2012
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Algeria: Malik Medjnoun freed from prison today

Mr. Malik Medjnoun was arrested on 28 September 1999 by agents of the Department of Intelligence and Security (DRS) and had been detained ever since. He was released from the civil prison of Tizi-Ouzou at 10:00 a.m. on 2 May 2012. Accused of the murder of singer Lounès Matoub, he has always maintained his innocence. He was severely tortured and interrogated in the "Antar" police station in Ben-Aknoun, Algiers. He was kept in prison for eleven years without trial. He was finally sentenced to 12 years in prison on 18 July 2011.
01 May 2012
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Algeria: Mr. Tarek MAMERI, a young cyber activist who has called for a boycott of legislative elections, abducted 1 May 2012

Tarek Mameri, a 23-year old who lives in Algiers in the Belouizdad quarter, was abducted on 1 May 2012 at 9:00 p.m. in the middle of Algiers. He was taken by several individuals in civilian dress who were traveling in an unmarked white Volkswagen Caddy.
01 May 2012
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